What do black people need a post office for anyway?

The U.S. Postal Service is considering closing 3,653 post offices throughout the country, including 41 in Wisconsin, and the agency’s financial problems also could signal the demise of a proposed distribution center and mail processing facility in Oak Creek.

The Wisconsin post offices being considered for closure include six in the city of Milwaukee: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (53212); Hampton (53218); Mid City (53208); Parklawn (53216); and Teutonia (53206).

Most of the others marked for closure are in rural areas. In most cases there is another post office within five miles.

What do those six Milwaukee post offices have in common? They serve ZIP codes where African-Americans make up the biggest percentage of the population [[map]

But, hey, there's another post office within five miles. No car? Well, there are still a few buses running; no, not as many as there used to be, and you may have to walk a little to get there.

Disabled? Old? Not our problem. Take a cab.

What do you need a post office for anyway? You don't need a passport, because you aren't going anywhere. Money order? Surely there is some ripoff outlet in the neighborhood. Need to mail a package? We'll get back to you on that. Press 3 for more options.

The postal service has a solution that may sound familiar: Privatize.

The Postal Service is proposing the “Village Post Office” concept, in which pharmacies and other retailers would sell stamps, flat-rate packaging and other products.

“Today, more than 35 percent of the Postal Service’s retail revenue comes from expanded access locations such as grocery stores, drug stores, office supply stores, retail chains, self-service kiosks, ATMs and usps.com, open 24/7,” Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said in a statement.